Kindness to Animals eBook

When I say domestic, I mean such as we are used to
see in our houses, streets, and fields. Lions,
tigers, elephants, and such as are shut up in caravans,
or only taken about for a show, do not belong to these;
though I am not sure that I shall not have a word or
two to say about bears and monkeys. I want to
amuse you, my young friends, and to make you think
a little too; for all the good things given us of God
become more valuable to us when we think about them
in a right way. Jack knew this: he used
to rub his forehead with his fingers’ ends, shake
his head wisely, and spell, “Very good think.”
I hope you will judge the same; and when you have
come to the end of my little book, be able to say you
have had a “very good think” too.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER II.

Thehorse.

The great mistake that people seem to me to make about
animals is this: they fancy that they must be
frightened into obedience, and kept from disobeying
their masters by being made afraid of punishment.
I dare say that animals, like human beings, often
need correction; but two things are necessary to make
such correction useful. One is, not to punish
them too severely, which only hardens them in rebellion;
the other is, never to hurt them at all except for
a real fault—­something that they know to
be a fault, and know that they will be punished for
doing. Otherwise, the poor beast, not knowing
when or why it may be beaten, gets confused and foolish,
and does wrong, as any boy might do, from being in
a great fright. The truth is, that the animals
are very sensible, and very willing to do their best.
They are fond of being praised and rewarded; they
become very much attached to those who treat them kindly;
and when they are so attached, they are very happy,
and show off all the fine qualities that make them
both valuable and entertaining. I am going to
tell you some stories about my own favourites; and,
to prevent your thinking that they were different
from others of the same kind, I shall begin by letting
you into the secret of making them so knowing.

First, I tried to find out their habits; and I will
tell you what they are. All very young animals
like to sleep a good deal, and to be let alone.
It both frightens and hurts them to be pulled about,
and makes them fretful and ill-tempered; spoils their
growth, and prevents their loving you. A puppy
or a kitten is very fond of play, and will jump and
bounce about with you for a long while; but the moment
they begin to get tired, they should be left alone,
to rest as much as they like. You may suppose,
that if, when you are comfortably going to sleep at
night, a rough-handed man were to come and shake you,
and bawl out in your ears, and wake you continually,
you would soon become fretful and ill too, and feverish,
and be very glad to get out of the way of such a tormentor.
So my rule is, when creatures are young, to let them
have as much sleep as they will. It may sometimes
prevent their being playthings when you want them;
but it will be made up in their health, and good-temper,
and gratitude to you.